Category Archives: black books

A Film with Me in It ~ I discovered this flick quite by accident. I was surfing through the channels one afternoon and saw Dylan Moran. I love Dylan Moran. He’s the best part of Shaun of the Dead, and “Black Books” is one of my favorite Britcoms of all time. The film was just at the beginning, so I settled (watched what little I missed in a later viewing) in for what was sure to be entertaining. I was hooked immediately by this dark dark comedy.

Mark, played by this film’s screenwriter Mark Doherty, who lives with his girlfriend and handicapped brother in a flat he’s having trouble keeping. Pierce, his ne’er-do-well friend played by Moran, is a wannabe screenwriter with whom they are trying to write a movie. When Mark’s life begins to unravel, a series of accidents kill several people in his flat in quick succession. As Pierce struggles to ‘fix’ things, very dark hilarity ensues.

High tension, high comedy, dialogue perfect for Moran, direction by Ian Fitzgibbon that apes Hitchcock slyly, this is a fun, but very dark flick. I loved it. This may not be for everyone, but I thought it was great.

Toronto, ON – Writers of horror, thriller and suspense… take note! The publishing team at BIFF BAM POP! has announced an open call for submissions to be considered for their Short Story Anthology.

With the success of last year’s Biff Bam Boo comics collection, pop-culture outlet BIFF BAM POP! has issued an open call for submissions to this year’s horror, thriller and suspense collection. The finished Anthology will feature hand-picked short fiction from authors big and small.

“For any contributing writer, the BIFF BAM POP Short Fiction Anthology is a prime opportunity to have your stories read by thousands of readers and collaborators,” says Andy Burns, Editor-In-Chief, BIFF BAM POP!. “We’re specifically looking for imaginative fiction with elements of the horror, thriller and/or suspense genres… with an open call for submissions, we’re sure our audience will deliver something amazing.”

Writers must submit their original prose before 11:59pm April 1st, 2012 deadline. A panel of BIFF BAM POP! representatives will review every submission received, and those selected will be published in the Short Story Anthology to be released this Fall.

Submissions can be sent: here (RTF or Microsoft Word files). Please see the official submission guidelines for complete information about submitting to the BIFF BAM POP! Short Story Anthology.

About BIFF BAM POP! Established in August 2008, Biff Bam Pop! is a website devoted to the world of pop culture, from comic books and video games, to movies, books, and music. For additional information, visit www.biffbampop.com.

I absolutely love this new series from Showtime. The Bride and I are big Anglophiles and we love British television. We are frequently disappointed however when American television networks try to adapt a much loved British program for those apparently dumbed down American audiences. One prime example comes to mind – “Red Dwarf” and “Homeboys in Outer Space.” It is still truly the stuff of nightmares. And let’s not even mention the Fox telemovie version of Doctor Who, canon or not.

“Episodes” is a series about exactly that – Americans ruining British television. The best part is that it’s actually a BBC program. Writers Bev and Sean, played expertly by Stephen Mangan and the wonderful Tamsin Grieg (from one of my fave Britcoms, “Black Books”), are the creators of a successful series purchased by a American network executive who’s never seen it.

Task one, they recast it. In the title role of the elderly schoolmaster, they place Matt LeBlanc, having far too much fun playing a parody of himself, and reset him as a hockey coach. They additionally change the title of the show to “Pucks,” even though it originally had nothing to do with hockey. And that’s just the beginning. I’m loving this, check it out.

Run Fatboy Run ~ You know, if you put Simon Pegg and Dylan Moran where they take turns reading the phone book, I’ll pay to see it. That’s how much I like these guys, and what a big fan of both “Spaced,” “Black Books” and of course, Shaun of the Dead I am. Heck, Simon is so cool I’m hip to him playing Scotty in the new Star Trek flick even though he is so not right for the part. In this flick Simon Pegg is trying to win back the woman he left pregnant at the altar by running a marathon. In a great turn Hank Azaria plays his near perfect competition. The best work I’ve seen Hank do outside of “The Simpsons” since “Herman’s Head.” Now, Run Fatboy Run is pretty formulaic and predictable, but I have no problem with that. Even considering those difficulties Simon and Dylan still shine through and make me laugh. This is full of their unique style of Brit humor even when it descends into ABC Family territory. This rocks. Watch, laugh, enjoy.